Full Sail: Elevation

Imperial IPA
Full Sail Brewing
Hood River, Oregon
ALC/VOL 7.5%

I've been holding onto this beer for a while, waiting for the right time to pop it. Full Sail is one of those breweries that doesn't cater to a larger audience. They seem quietly content with producing very high end craft brews in small batches for small audiences (not surprising from an Oregon based company, where craft breweries are basically on every block). However, it might surprise you to know that Full Sail is the 9th largest craft brewery in the US. We just on't get it out east all that often.

This brewery produces many different types of beer, but seems to focus the most on IPAs. And while, I've had quite a few of their IPAs and been blown away, this is one of the first released under their "Brewmaster Reserve" label. In the same way that my first good IPA changed my beer pallate, so did trying my first imperial IPA. A little darker look with all that good hoppy taste up front, but finishing with a more caramel and hickory finish, it's one of my favorite all time styles.

As soon as I poured this beer, I was ready to drink it. A beautiful color and event a better scent. Some heavily hopped beers have such a pungent scent, like Dorchester, my first college dorm. But this beer smells more clean and put together, like a well arranged display.

Then to tasting. Shit, this beer is really damn good. It's one of the hoppiest beers I've had while still remaining to keep a smooth and well developed finish. I discover a little more with each sip. It's not that it's very complicated, it's just that there is a lot going on "under the surface". It's very hard to distinguish. If I wasn't enjoying the beer so much, it would be difficult to review. It's almost as if my first few tastes have set a foundation for other flavors to come. About 12 ounces in, the beer starts to take a little more bitterness. But just a few sips later, as I near the end of the bottle, the bitterness rolls back in to a more "earthy sweetness", like a velvety moss or undergrowth. It's very pleasant.

It might be time to find some more of this stuff....

I have to note: maybe this beer tastes so good because I'm listening to some incredible music at the same time. I was able to get my hands on Bon Iver's new album "Bon Iver" about 10 days before it's release. It's pretty unbelievable. I'll save that review for the next post.